Foam vs Obsidian
Foam
docs.foam.md
Obsidian
obsidian.mdSide by side
| Figure | Foam | Obsidian |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $4.17/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 6 |
| Spec score · Personal Knowledge Management Software | 8.7 (#6) | 9.1 (#2) |
| Spec score · Note-taking apps | 8.4 (#65) | 9.5 (#3) |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Integrations | Foam documents compatibility with Obsidian vaults and says users can open the same Markdown folder in VS Code with Foam installed. | Notion,Airtable,Microsoft OneNote,Evernote,Apple Notes,Apple Journal,Google Keep,Bear,Craft,Roam Research,Logseq,Tomboy,Gnote |
| Note sharing | Yes | Yes |
| Offline access | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | Foam runs as a VS Code extension, and its installation guide says VS Code supports cross-platform use. | Windows,macOS,Linux,iOS,Android,Chrome extension |
| Real-time collaboration | Yes | Yes |
Plans
Obsidian
- Sync Standard$5 a month
- Sync Plus$10 a month
- Publish$10 a month
- Catalyst$25, paid once
- Commercial$50 a year
- FreeFree
In their own words
Obsidian
Obsidian is a note-taking app for keeping notes and building a personal knowledge workspace. Its core app is free, has no sign-up requirement, and stores notes on the user's device so they remain available offline. It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and as a Chrome extension. Canvas provides an open workspace for research, brainstorming, diagrams, and ideas; thousands of plugins and an open API allow workflow customization. Shared vaults support team work with real-time updates. Sync adds synchronization and version history: Standard costs $5 per user per month billed annually, with one vault, 1 GB of storage, a 5 MB maximum file size, and one month of history. Plus costs $10 per user per month billed annually, with 10 vaults, 10 GB, a 200 MB maximum file size, and 12 months of history. Publish is $10 per site per month billed annually and includes up to 4 GB hosting per site. It offers themes, custom domains, password protection, and SEO optimization.